Officials and members of the Brookdale community attend opening ceremonies in the college’s new Recreation and Events Center (BREC). MIDDLETOWN — Brookdale Community College’s new Recreation and Events Center (BREC) will reduce conflicts for campus recreation space and provide a brand-new fitness center.
Frank Lawrence, director of athletics, recreation and fitness for Brookdale, said that the $22 million project, which was dedicated Nov. 30, will allow for simultaneous events in the BREC and Collins Arena.
“It provides more recreational space so that the arena is freed up as more traditional event space,” he said.
Previously, the Collins Arena was the only recreational space on campus and served several purposes.
“It was the only space we had, so we were using it for intramurals, recreation, classes and our own athletic events, plus outside community events,” Lawrence said.
“It was very limiting in terms of what we were able to provide both to our students and to the community.”
With its two collegiate-sized courts, Lawrence said that the new 15,000-squarefoot facility would ease what he called a balancing act of organizing uses, including High Tech High School’s physical education classes.
“That was 20 hours a week of programming where it was closed off from our students,” Lawrence said.
One of the project’s objectives, Lawrence said, was to allow for multiple, simultaneous uses.
“What we were trying to do is provide increased access for everybody. Whereas we were constantly saying no to a lot of people, now we can say yes to a lot more people,” he said.
The project also includes a new 9,000- square-foot fitness center, a much-needed addition, Lawrence said.
“We’ve always had a fitness center on campus, but it was always in a less than ideal setting,” he said.
These unfortunate arrangements included the basement of an academic building and unused office space.
“The new space was designed very specifically for fitness, and so it’s very open with lots of windows and natural light and a floor that’s designed for fitness centers,” Lawrence said.
He added that the fitness center also has a new locker room and a group exercise room, another first for the campus, which would provide fitness programming such as yoga, Pilates and dance classes.
Community members can join the fitness center for $285 for a full-year membership, Lawrence said.
“We have always had a significant number of community members and we are hoping to increase that.”
The project’s second phase includes major renovations to the Collins Arena, which are currently under way.
“Basically, the only thing left standing are the exterior walls and the dome; everything internal has been gutted,” Lawrence said.T
hese updates include new heating, air conditioning, restrooms, locker rooms, flooring, lighting, concession stand, bleachers and elevators.
Lawrence said that he expects these renovations to be completed in January.
These additions have been a long time coming; Lawrence said that the concept dates back to the mid-’90s.
“We’ve been working on it pretty specifically for the last four or five years,” he said.
According to Lawrence, construction started 18 months ago and the recreation and fitness center opened in late August.